Fish-plate for railroad-rails



(No Model.)

R. R. BRIDGERS,J1"., & W. H. GOOD.

FISH'PLATE FOR RAILROAD RAILS. No. 326,393. Patented Sept. 15, 1885.

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; Nirno STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RO'BERT'R. BRIDGERS, JR, or WALL, AND WILLIAM H. coon, or oREENs- BURG,PENNSYLVANIA.

' FISH-PLATE FO R RAILROAD-RAILS.

' GPECZEEICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,393. datedSeptember 15, 1885.

Application filed December 4, 1334. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

. Be it known that we, ROBERT It. BRIDGERS, Jr., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Vail, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, and WILLIAM H. Goon, a'citizen of the United States,residing at Greensburg, in the county of WVestmoreland and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fish-Platesfor Railroad-Joints, of which the following is a specifieation.

Our invention relates to fish-plates for the butt-joints ofrailway-rails, and the purpose thereof is to remedy the defective wearof steel rails under the constant passage of wheels.

By observation we have ascertained that the wear of railsis governed bythe followinglaws:

First. WVhere a rail receives more vertical support at one point than atanother a depres sion forms over or near the point of support, thelength, depth, and exact location of such depression, as regards thesupport, being determined by the character of the material of the rail,the manner of ballasting the road-bed, by the tamping, and by thefacility for draining the road-bed under the ballast. Illustrating thislaw, a straight-edge will show that a depression exists over nearlyevery cross-tie and very seldom between them. When depressions existbetween ties, the straight-edge applied to the bottomof the rail willshow that it is bent between the ties. Likewise a depression is foundover all guard-rail chairs.

Second. That wherever the rail receives more lateral support at onepoint than at another the wear on the rail opposite this point isgreatest and the rail deflects outwardly on either side of the support.As illustrating this law, it is found that wherever a \Vharton switchsafety-casting is used by the side of the rail the rail soon becomespermanently bent outward at either end of the casting; also, that therail is out of line at either end of a public road-crossing; also, thatthe rail has more short kinks between guard rail chairs than the samerail has on curves where no guard-rail chairs are used.

Third. The third law is that a low spot on all rails causes theformation of a low spot on 50 the opposite rail just in advance of theoriginal low spot. Illustrating this law, it is foundthat wherejointsare allowed to remain low that a depression forms on the opposite railover the tie in advance of the joint;,als0, that a depression alwaysforms 011 the rails oppositeto a point of the frog.

Fourth. The fourth, law is that when the wheel encounters a low spot inone rail it tends to move the track in the direction ofthat spotlaterally. Illustrating this law, it is found that ajoint allowed toremain low becomes deflected outwardly, and a trial with a track gagewill show that the opposite rail has been brought toward thejoint; inother words, the

ties move laterally. It will also be found that 6 5 the rail oppositethe joint of a frog is always out of line. This tendency is so greatthat when the wheel passes over the low spot at the front of a frog itwill actually move the ties up an incline when the frog is on theoutside of curve. It is well known that on the double tracks, when theordinary fish-plate or angle-bar splice is used, the head of the railmashes over the entire length of splice, the depression being slightbehind the abutting ends 7 of rails and greater in advance of thepointot junction of said rails, the deepest point of depression beingover the tie in advance of the joint, the rails being mashedlessimmediately at their ends than they are over the cross-ties.

The object of our invention is to prevent the formation of the low spotthat occurs near the joint, and thus avoid the destruction of the trackfrom these causes.

Our invention consists in the novel construction hereinafter set forth,and fully defined in the claims attached to this specification.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a section ofrail, showing our improved fish-plate in place. Fig. 2 is a perspectiveView of the-plates in position, the rail being removed.

In the said drawings the reference-numeral 1 denotes the rail, of usualform, and the numeral 2 indicates the fish-plate applied to the rails atthe point where their ends abut against each other. The fish-plateconsists of any suitable form of strap, fish-plate, or an gle-bar,double or single, that supports the rail under extent of support beingabout two inches upon each rail. This dimension, however, is susceptibleof some variation, according to the condition and ballast of the road,the spacing of the crossties, and other circumstances.

Heretofore, and prior to our invention, the butt-j oints of rai lroad-rai ls have been provided: with a lap or fishpiece long enough torest upon several ties or sleepers, and highenough the same ispassingover said joint, the tread of the wheel coining directly upon theedge of the fish-plate as the wheel passes overthe joint. Devices ofvarious kinds, also. have been combined with the chairs in which theabutting ends of the rails are supported, and 1 .in presence of twowitnesses.

in one instance the sides of the chair have been bent upward to underliethe ends of ada We make no claim to any. of

jacent rails.

0 these forms of construction.-

What we claim is 1. In a fish plate or splice for railway-rails,

to receive and support the car-wheel when l way, lot a fish plate orsplice consisting the part 2, having a central supporting-portion, 6

'stantially as described.

supporting portion, 6, which underlies the heads of the adjacent rails,and bolts passing through said plates and the webs of the rails, saidfish-plate being provided with a plate extending outward from the basethereof and resting upon the sleepers,bolts, or spikesfastening saidplates to the sleepers, sulmtautiall y as described.

3. The combination, with the railso! a railand the base 3, the plate 2,receiving which pass th rough the webs of the rails, sub

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures ROBERT R. BRIDGERS, J13. W.H. GOOD. Witnesses:

C. F. BEYMER, G. B. M. CURDY.

